Dear PAO,
My father is Chinese but he was born here in the
Philippines. He has an ACR I-card he has not renewed for almost 20
years. He has not been paying his annual report as well. He was forced
to retire from work and he has no funds to answer for his financial
obligations. I am concerned with his status and I do not want to
compromise him and have him deported.
Is deportation even possible? Would you also know what the
requirements are in processing the renewal of his ACR I-card as well as
the charges for such application? Who is the proper person to talk to
without compromising his situation? I am also thinking of applying
Philippine citizenship for him but I am afraid it might be costly.
Diana
Dear Diana,
You
failed to mention in your letter the visa type which your father is
holding. However, from the tenor of your letter and based on your
statement that he was born here in the Philippines, we would assume that
your father is a native–born visa holder.
While native-born
visa holders are allowed to permanently reside in the Philippines, they
are subject to certain conditions and obligations. One of which is
personally reporting before the Bureau of Immigration (B.I.) every first
sixty days of each calendar year. This is pursuant to Section 10 of
Republic Act No. 562, otherwise known as the “Alien Registration Act of
1950.” As provided therein, every alien subject to the provisions
thereof must report in person to the B.I., if residing in the City of
Manila, within the first sixty days of every calendar year. For those
residing in the provinces, they may report to the respective B.I.
satellite offices. For aliens who are below fourteen (14) years of age
or sixty-five (65) years old and above, their parents, legal guardians
or authorized representatives may make the report on their behalf. The
Bureau of Immigration imposes an annual report fee of Three Hundred
Pesos (P300.00) and a legal research fee of Ten Pesos (10.00).
Registered
aliens, such as native-borns, are likewise mandated to have valid ACR
I-cards. An ACR I-card is a microchip-based identification card which is
valid only for a given period. Failure to renew the same after its
expiration may constitute a violation of pertinent Immigration rules and
regulations.
If your father desires to renew his ACR I-card, he
must submit to the Alien Registration Division of the Bureau of
Immigration a duly-accomplished application form, his original ACR
I-card, NSO authenticated copy of his birth certificate with its
official receipt, certified true copy of his alien registration
certificate and native-born certificate of registration or immigrant
certificate of residency, travel records, certificate of residency from
the barangay captain which has jurisdiction over his barangay, and such
other documents which may be required by the Bureau.
Please be
advised that any alien who fails to comply with the annual report, who
fails to pay the annual report fee, and who fails to update his ACR
I-card will be meted with administrative fines and penalties, and
further runs the risk of deportation.
Should your father wish to
apply for administrative naturalization, he must possess all the
qualifications and none of the disqualifications mentioned under
Republic Act No. 9139, otherwise known as the Administrative
Naturalization Law of 2000. But he must consider his financial capacity
before filing the petition because the naturalization fee amounts to One
hundred thousand pesos (P100,000.00) payable as follows: Fifty thousand
pesos (P50,000.00) upon the approval of the petition and Fifty thousand
pesos (P50,000.00) upon the taking of the oath of allegiance to the
Republic of the Philippines (Section 9, id).
source: Manila Times' Column by
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